Beachiness (or, water & sand)

Easter eggs or land mines

Best for

Our Review

Give us the wide-angle view: what kind of beach are we talking about?Love the beach but hate sand? Zona de Banys keeps the best parts of the experience—sunshine, water, and outdoor sports—but does away with the gritty stuff. Rocky outcrops and floats ‘fence off’ an area of ocean into a large-scale outdoor pool and wakeboarding zone that’s 375 meters long and 30 meters wide.

Lovely. How accessible is it?Get here via El Maresme Fòrum metro stop (yellow L4). Once inside, access is designed to be as useful as possible for wheelchair users; a hydraulic chairlift and assisted bathing service allows those with mobility issues to actually bathe, too.

Got it. Decent services and facilities, would you say?Zona de Banys is only open in summer, with toilets and changing rooms available starting June 1. During June and the last two weeks of September, the facility is open on weekends (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.); in July and August, and during the first two weeks of September, it's open from 11 a.m to 2 p.m. daily.

How’s the actual beach stuff—sand and surf?The water is perfect for swimming laps, diving (it's deep), and quick dips to cool off.

Excellent. Can we go barefoot?There's no sand here—just concrete—but that's kind of the point.

Anything special we should look for?The area is home to a colony of sea urchins, so you’re advised to wear water shoes when swimming, and to stay especially alert near rocks.

If we’re thinking about going, what—and who—is this beach best for?This place is great if you want a swimming experience that’s more robust than a tiny hotel pool and can’t face shaking sand out of another beach towel. The facilities aren’t that glamorous, but it’s a unique haunt that lets you live like a local.